What Does 1 Corinthians 13:7 Mean in the King James?
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The word translated “beareth” also means “covers”: love endures by holding shelter over what presses on it.
THE MEANING
Love shelters what is exposed, places trust, keeps hope open, and remains under pressure; the repeated “all things” gives each verb the same wide reach. Its endurance is active: it covers and stays through the full weight of what comes.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the idea that love lasts only while conditions are easy: here love is shelter, trust, hope, and endurance under pressure.
THE ROOT
στέγει
stégei
GROWS FROM
στεγ-
steg-
To cover or roof over; by extension, to bear or endure.
“Beareth” in this verse is stégei. The verb holds sheltering and enduring together: love bears by covering. English carries the sense of bearing, while the root also gives the image of a roof held over what is exposed.
ALSO GROWS
stegē: Roof, covering
στέγη
The roof is a concrete image of the covering present in “beareth.”
stegazō: Cover, shelter, roof over
στεγάζω
This related verb makes explicit the protective action carried within the root.
πιστεύει
pisteuei
GROWS FROM
πιστ-
pist-
Trust, rely on; place confidence in.
“Believeth” in this verse is pisteuei. This is trust one can lean a full weight on, not bare agreement. Love’s believing is a way of relating through reliance.
ALSO GROWS
pistis: Trust, confidence
πίστις
The noun names the trust that the verb expresses as an action.
pistos: Firm, steady; trustworthy
πιστός
The same word family links trust with steadiness, giving “believeth” the feel of reliable reliance.
ὑπομένει
hypomenei
GROWS FROM
μεν- (men-), with ὑπο- (hypo-, under)
To remain; in this compound, to remain under.
“Endureth” in this verse is hypomenei. Endurance is staying under pressure rather than escaping its presence. Set beside shelter, trust, and hope, this staying shows love remaining present through the weight.
ALSO GROWS
menō: Remain, stay
μένω
This is the core verb of remaining within the compound.
hypomonē: Endurance, steadfastness
ὑπομονή
The related noun names the staying power expressed by “endureth.”
THE PATTERN
Love covers what is exposed and persists through pressure in trust, expectation, and endurance.
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;THE THREAD
If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.The verb here is στέγω (stegō), “cover” or “bear,” the same root rendered “beareth” in 1 Corinthians 13:7. Here it is translated “suffer,” showing that this covering word also names what is borne under pressure.
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